Joe.My.God. LGBT News
I watched every minute of this live on CNN. You should watch it below. Business Insider recaps:
Rabbi Michael Lerner delivered a powerful eulogy for boxing legend Muhammad Ali at his funeral on Friday, praising Ali for daring “to love black people at a time when black people had a hard time loving themselves” and calling for an end to Islamophobia.
“Muhammad Ali had the courage to say no to Farrakhan and leave the anti-Semitism and homophobia of that part of Islam, and eventually to draw sustenance from the Sufi approach to Islam – the ultimate in a love-oriented religion,” Lerner said, according to a transcript of the eulogy provided to Israeli news outlet Haaretz in advance of the funeral.
“If Muhammad Ali were here today, I’m sure his message would be this: Don’t waste your time on this planet fighting the small battles – put your life energies and money into fundamental systemic transformation,” said Lerner, who is also a political activist and editor of the Jewish magazine Tikkun.
Lerner went on to touch on many of Bernie Sanders’ most popular talking points including income equality, prison reform, and banking reform. The similarities were not lost on many Twitter users.
Bernie Sanders has dressed up as a Rabbi and is speaking the straight truth right now at Ali’s funeral
— John Sebastian (@jondhi23) June 10, 2016
Did Bernie Sanders come to speak at the Muhammad Ali funeral dressed as a Rabbi? #AliFuneral — Phillydude (@Fairwinds10) June 10, 2016
This rabbi at Ali’s funeral might be Bernie Sanders in disguise.
— Ben (@benniuskellius) June 10, 2016
“Tell the next president that she should get private money out politics” -Rabbi Michael Lerner to a standing ovation speaking at #AliFuneral — Democracy Matters (@DemocracyMatrz) June 10, 2016
#AliFuneral Beautiful tribute by Rabbi Lerner gets a laugh by @billclinton as he refers to “Our next President” as “She”
— Jennifer Heyman (@jheyman) June 10, 2016